We Review PrideBites Dog Toys

While no dog toy is indestructible, I am always on the lookout for durable squeaky toys to tantalize Ace and share with my Dogster readers. This week, Ace sank her teeth into a squeaky toy that looks and feels different from its competitors. PrideBites dog toys ($7.99 to $14.99) are made of lightweight foam and covered in a durable fleece material. They can fly through the air and float in water, and because they are machine washable they can be used outdoors and inside.

PrideBites come in two sizes: classic for dogs 15 pounds and over, and mini for dogs under 15 pounds. Ace is right on the cusp, so we sampled the classic size Fire Hydrant($9.99) and Slithers the Snake($9.99). I found that this was a good size for a serious game of tug, and because PrideBites are feather-light, the extra size did not weigh Ace down.

The first unique characteristic that struck me about PrideBites is their cartoon-like design. I love everything about the styling of these toys.

The colors are bold, and the details are solidly stitched. Also, the designs are entertaining and made me smile. I keep checking the PrideBites website to see when the Steak ($14.99) will be back in stock, because the image of Ace running around with a large, cartoon-like steak squeaking in her maw just cracks me up.

Ace and I played with our PrideBites inside our apartment. They are extremely lightweight, and this made for some unusual games of fetch. With a little practice, I sent the PrideBites bouncing and cartwheeling across our hardwood floors, which drove Ace wild in a good way.

PrideBites were particularly good for playing tug. I could get a good grip on the foam toy, and it felt less slimy than the toys that are covered in faux fur.

Regarding PrideBites’ durability, I found these toys to be satisfactorily tough. As a rule I try to keep Ace from cornering a toy and chewing it. Still, she managed to make some small tears in the fabric during the course of normal play. She did not come anywhere near to extracting the squeaker, which is an improvement over many other stuffed toys we’ve tried.

If your dog is like Ace, who can enjoy a stuffed toy for a few weeks of brief play sessions before she destroys it, I think you will find PrideBites’ durability is on par with other similarly priced durable squeaky toys.

If you’re not sufficiently tickled by any of the standard PrideBites, you have the option to create your own personalized dog toy from a photo of your dog ($24.99 to $29.99). This looks seriously cool: You send in a photo of your dog –- or your own face! -– and you get an incredibly accurate reproduction on a PrideBites toy. I am pretty impressed by the artists’ skills at depicting their canine subjects. Unfortunately, we are talking about a squeaky toy, after all, and I can’t fathom the thought of giving such a one-of-a-kind piece of art to Ace to devour. These toys would make great gifts for the birthday dog or dog mama.